Upcycling Space

WikiTrend is reporting an upswing in environmentally-friendly upcycling. The trend refers to the repurposing of large scale public and private spaces in creative eco-friendly ways.

While planting gardens on urban rooftops is not a new trend, in recent weeks, WikiTrend has seen a surge in stories from around the world that suggest a growth in the trend to create spaces that are even more environmentally sensitive. Spaces that were previously ignored or discarded are being upcycled in creative new ways that creating welcome new spaces in cramped or impoverished areas.

In New York City, for example, an abandoned trolley line is slated to become an underground park called the Lowline, as a counterpoint to that city's Highline elevated park across town. In Bolivia, empty plastic soda bottles are being upcycled to build houses. In Amsterdam, gardens are being planted on the roofs of city busses. And in San Francisco, a portion of the baseball stadium where the Giants play is being turned into an organic garden that will supply the stadium's many restaurant outlets.

"These trends are driven by the realization that seemingly endless resources are actually limited," says Daniel Levine, a trends expert and keynote speaker who serves as the editorial director of WikiTrend.org. "People are realizing that the amounts of natural resources and open space that remain available are continuously shrinking. That’s why we’re seeing spaces being turned green and previously discarded items being reused for unintended purposes.”